Final Fight with Darkness
by LadyDracula
Summary: A fight between a vampire, Adam Christophen, and a witch, Victoria Robertson, with one family in the middlethe Van Helsings. Sequel to Unforseen Awakening.May remove this story soon.
1. Default Chapter

A/N: I do not own Van Helsing characters or the name Van Helsing. This is the sequel to Unforeseen Awakening, and it is set 20 years later.  
  
The woods of Transylvania were immensely quiet for a spring morning. The air was crisp and showed promise of a rainy, but lush, summer. Two horses hooves were heard while the horses were still far from view. Their riders were racing the same path they'd taken for years. Tyrney Van Helsing, son of Anna and Gabriel Van Helsing, was challenging his best friend Benjamin, Carl and Madeline's son, to a horse race. They had raced since they were ten, and they had just turned twenty.  
Benjamin was just a little under a month younger that Tyrney, and he had been best friends with Tyrney since he was old enough to talk. He was a dhampir, half vampire, half human, and had traits that were useful to him since he was little. He could sense when vampires where near, and that was handy when he and Tyrney were in the woods with no one else. The first time the traits had served him well was when he was ten, and Tyrney had fallen into a trap for a deer. Tyrney was in a hole that was six feet deep, and he was unable to climb out. Benjamin also couldn't reach Tyrney when he held out his hand. His best friend was in trouble.  
Benjamin was trying to find a fallen tree limb to help Tyrney grab a hold of. That was when he felt the presence of a vampire, and he pulled out his silver dagger from his side. His bright green eyes steadied, and his heart beat slowed as he threw the dagger right as the creature was leaping for him. The dagger pierced the vampire's heart, and it turned to ashes. After the vampire was gone, Benjamin dropped to the ground and trembled from exhaustion. His heart was pounding, and the blood rush caused his head to ache. But, he forced himself to get up. 'Help Tyrney,' his brain had told him. So, Benjamin climbed to his feet.  
Pain surged through his body as he staggered around looking for anything to help Tyrney up. Benjamin had only taken a few steps when he dropped to his knees. His vision was blurry and he couldn't go on. He felt sick to his stomach, and he feared he would vomit if he didn't rest. So, he curled up on the ground and hoped for the pains to cease.  
Benjamin had laid there for a few minutes when he could hear horse hooves, the sound was distorted but there. He opened his eyes to see his father and Gabriel there. He still couldn't move because of the pain. He saw Gabriel stoop down and examine the ashes that had been a vampire just a little while before. He looked over to Carl and then to Benjamin. Then, he went over to the hole where Tyrney was stuck in.  
Carl knelt down next to Benjamin and set his hand down on his son's curly blonde hair. The boy's forehead felt like he had a fire under his skin. "Benjamin," he said gently to get his son to look at him. Benjamin opened his eyes again and looked up. His vision was still blurry.  
"What's going on," he asked meekly as his eyes began to roll in the back of his head.  
Benjamin had woke up in his bedroom, and he felt drained. His mother was sitting next to him on the bed, stroking his hair. "What happened to me," he asked.  
Madeline told him. "You have special powers to track and destroy vampires. That power decided to emerge today," she said gently.  
Benjamin remembered not being able to understand. "Why?"  
Madeline sighed. "Because you are a dhampir, half vampire and half human."  
Benjamin stared wildly at his mother. "What?"  
"It's a story that needs to be kept for later. I will tell it to you one day when you're older." Madeline told him, and he had nothing to do but accept.  
Tyrney brought Benjamin out of his reminiscence by shoving his arm. Benjamin remembered he was racing Tyrney, and Tyrney had pulled ahead of him. Benjamin nudged his horse with his boots, and the black stallion began to speed up. Benjamin's curly blonde hair, which was long enough to have two inches of curls from every point, was blown back in the wind. He looked over and saw Tyrney's long curly brunette hair looked about the same. Benjamin smirked at Tyrney as he caught up to him.  
Tyrney and Benjamin rarely got to race their horses anymore. Since they were eighteen, they had been battling all sorts of monsters, like their fathers had. They had battled werewolves, banshees, and Benjamin's favorite, vampires. The creatures had seemed to have flourished since Benjamin and Tyrney could hunt them down. Neither of them minded, but their fathers did. Gabriel worried because the Holy Order had taken notice of Tyrney and Benjamin's involvement in the fighting of evil creatures. Gabriel didn't want to see his son, or Carl's, in conditions he had been in. Gabriel had finally been replaced by a man that was younger, but he was glad to give up the job. He'd been called a murderer for too long because of that job.  
Before Tyrney and Benjamin could reach the point of the woods where they had marked as the finish line, Benjamin stopped his horse. He felt his brain tingling, and he knew that meant a vampire was near. Tyrney stopped his horse and stared at Benjamin, and he knew it was serious. He reached for his pistols with silver bullets, silver stops vampire healing nearly to a human healing rate. He glanced around the woods trying to get his senses to work like his father had taught him. Gabriel had a kind of sixth sense for detecting evil, or its hold on creatures. Tyrney was fortunate to have what little of that sense he had, but it was enough for him to get by.  
Benjamin's eyes steadied and scanned the woods, his sight was like an eagle hunting. He had sight so powerful that he could see the insects scurrying on the ground. 'Where are you,' he thought. 'Show yourself.' He scanned some more and found leaves out of place, and Benjamin knew the vampire had walked past them. He heard a rustling in front of him, and he turned his head. He saw the vampire, dressed in a cloak to protect itself from sunlight, a trick that many vampires had began to use over the years.  
  
Tyrney saw Benjamin hop off of his horse in a blink of an eye and charge at the vampire. 'What is he doing?' Tyrney thought thinking his friend was mad. He cocked his gun and aimed for the vampire, but he did not shoot. He watched Benjamin stop a few feet short of the vampire. The vampire hissed, "You two are the famous monster slayers? What pity you have to die so young." The vampire was female by the sound of her voice.  
Benjamin showed no sign of amusement, but he felt it. He had a gift that prevented the vampire from killing, well nearly. He had the power to hunt down vampires and kill them just based on instincts. He was too good at it at his age to be killed by the vampire before him. She was too weak to kill him, and he was glad that she was ignorant to that fact because that was his leverage.  
The vampire advanced on Benjamin, who remained calm. The vampire didn't understand why he didn't have any fear in her presence, but she ignored it. She didn't see the silver bullet come for her, but it ripped into her skin. She screamed, and that gave Benjamin the time he needed to pull out a silver stake and shove it into her heart. His aim was always true, and he never faltered.  
The vampire stumbled back and tried to pull the stake from her heart, but it was no use. The stake was stuck, and she was dying. She quickly burnt away to a pile of black ashes. Benjamin nodded and walked back over to his spooked horse. He touched the horse's nose and spoke to it softly. "It's okay, Shadow." The horse calmed down, and Benjamin climbed back up in the saddle. He turned to Tyrney and said, "Thanks. You caught her off guard and gave me the seconds I needed to destroy her."  
Tyrney nodded. "You are too good at that, Ben," he told him. "That side of you is a little scary sometimes, you do know that don't you?"  
Benjamin nodded. "I know, but I cannot control it. It is so close to the normality of breathing to me, and it's almost involuntary."  
Tyrney shook his head. "You would never know your father was a friar," he laughed.  
Benjamin smiled and replied, "No, you wouldn't. But, you wouldn't know that my mother was once a vampire."  
Tyrney nodded because Madeline just didn't seem like she would have been a vampire. It was still an amazing tale of how she was able to break free of that cursed life. Tyrney knew he had heard it hundreds of times when he'd listened to Madeline tell the children of the village her tale. They loved her to tell them about her previous life because evil was something they rarely saw. Tyrney liked to keep it that way because evil was nothing that children should have to face. He knew that Benjamin had faced evil as a child, but he had been no ordinary child. There weren't many dhampir children running around, so it was best for children to stay in the village of Vaseria, where it was safe. The woods were not safe, they were full of evil, like the vampire that Benjamin had staked.  
"I saw Abigail staring at you yesterday." Benjamin taunted Tyrney. Tyrney hated when Abigail Withers was around him because she was so infatuated by him while he held no feelings for her.  
"Ben, don't bring her up. You know I don't like her."  
Benjamin smirked. "But, that doesn't mean that she would mind if you used her to fill your...desires, or her desires."  
"Enough from you." Tyrney warned in a tone that he only used for when Benjamin was teasing him.  
"It's all in fun, Tyr, all in fun." Benjamin told him.  
"Yes, it is real fun being chased by the town loon." Tyrney replied. "Or seeing your sister fall for your best friend."  
Benjamin glanced wearily over to Tyrney. He knew that Nazalia Mischa Van Helsing was infatuated by him, but he had shrugged it off. "You know that nothing is going on there." Benjamin said.  
Tyrney nodded then turned to Benjamin with conflicted brown eyes. "But, she wants something to happen. It's not just infatuation, Ben, I think she's really lusting for you."  
Benjamin rolled his eyes. "You sister does not lust. She's like the stories of your mother. She is too independent to lust over any man, especially me."  
"Nazalia does not see you as my best friend, she sees you as the strong vampire slayer who sets fear in even the villagers hearts." Tyrney swallowed hard. "My mother fell hard for a monster slayer, why wouldn't my sister fall for one?" Benjamin glanced over at Tyrney's stare. "You said yourself that she was so much like my mother." Tyrney continued.  
Benjamin sighed. "You know I would not act upon your sister's lust for my own pleasure." Benjamin had been friends with Tyrney too long to know that was not the smartest move he could take. A relationship with Nazalia would cause a strain upon the friendship that had spanned over two decades. There was no reason to ruin that friendship because Tyrney was the only friend Benjamin had. No one really wanted to be around him without Tyrney because he was a dhampir. It used to bother Benjamin when he was a child, but he lost the need to care about it when he became an adolescent.  
"You are the only one who wouldn't." Tyrney replied spitefully. "All the men in the village that are her age or older are lusting after her, wanting her in their beds. I'd kill them all if they touched her, even if it meant I'd hang."  
Benjamin knew what the men said about Nazalia, and it even made him angry. He felt the need to protect Nazalia since she was Tyrney's younger sister. Nazalia was eighteen, and some said that was too old for a girl to be unwed. But, Anna had made herself clear that her daughter could chose who she married and not be forced into a marriage because of her age. People listened to Anna because she was the Queen of the Gypsies. People also listened because they knew if they didn't that Anna would have a vendetta with them and come after them. Or, Anna would send Gabriel their way. The villagers still feared Gabriel's strength and knowledge gained from hunting evil down and killing it for years.  
"I wouldn't let you hang, Tyr. I'd be there to shoot the rope in two, and we could ride out of Vaseria." Benjamin grimaced about his next sentence. "But, we would be wanted men."  
"My father lived a hunted man. Even though he was not really responsible for a crime, he was able to hide from those who were looking out for him." Tyrney said grinning.  
Benjamin honored Gabriel, and not just because he'd been a friend of his father's. He honored Gabriel because he knew that the dhampir powers were not all that there was to Benjamin. He knew that Benjamin was a good monster slayer besides the fact that he had skills to track down vampires. Gabriel had never told Benjamin that he also honored him because he knew that Benjamin would risk his life to save Tyrney, like Carl had risked his life to save Gabriel. Gabriel was glad to know that Tyrney was always being watched by a keen pair of eyes. 


	2. Chapter 2: Ambush

Eighteen-year-old Nazalia Van Helsing and her seventeen-year-old brother, Michael Evon Van Helsing were riding out on the south woods near their home. Both rode black stallions, but Nazalia was riding ahead of her brother. He was old enough to be riding alone without her by his side, and she was enjoying the brisk morning air. Her dark curls bounced as her horse trotted through the trees, and her brown eyes surveyed what changes the spring had made to the woods. Things were beginning to bud out and show signs of life again, which made Nazalia's spirits high. She hated seeing the trees look dead and bent like evil creatures. She saw enough of evil creatures in her hunts with Tyrney and Benjamin. Tyrney, Nazalia, and Evon had been taught the ways of their father's, and their mother's, trade, he wanted them to know how to protect themselves against the evil creatures in the world. They used their knowledge well.  
Evon rode at a slow pace, he felt something was lurking in the woods. He didn't have any sixth sense like his father had, but he had instincts that told him danger was near. His brown eyes, that were exactly the same color as Gabriel's, searched the trees for anything that was out of place. He noticed nothing, but he knew he had to keep his eyes open if anything was hiding. He'd learned enough from his father to know that even if your sight tells you you're safe, you are never safe until the feeling in your gut is gone.  
Evon turned his head at the sound of leaves rustling, which tossed his long ,wavy, brown hair about. Evon looked exactly like his Gabriel, only many years younger. All who met Evon knew he was a son of Gabriel Van Helsing just by seeing him. Gabriel kept his eye on Evon, just so that the Holy Order wouldn't have one of their spies see him and want to recruit Evon just because his resemblance to Gabriel. Gabriel figured that the Holy Order would want Evon to put fear in evil's heart just because he looked like Gabriel. So, Gabriel never let Evon wander off all alone just to keep him out of the Holy Order's grasp that would leave Evon struggling with all the emotional pain and verbal abuse that Gabriel put up with.  
Evon rolled his shoulders until they popped, then he relaxed enough to pay close attention to his surroundings. He continued to keep his horse in a walk as he glanced around, and listened closely. He saw trees, leaves, weeds all around, but there was something there. Evon knew something was there because the hair on his neck was on end, and it only did that when he was in danger. He swallowed hard and stopped right by a old, huge tree. Evon was about to call out for Nazalia to keep a look out for anything suspicious when he heard rustling in the huge tree in front of him.  
Evon looked and saw a swarm of griffins jump out of the tree, and he tried to turn his horse around. But, the griffin's were too fast for Evon to escape. One dived down and dug its claws into Evon's shoulder as it passed. Evon screamed out in pain as the creature's nails tore into the muscles in his shoulder. He clutched the wound with his hand and shut his eyes for a moment. He knew that he couldn't keep his eyes closed, so he opened his eyes and looked down at his hand. Blood was seeping through his fingers. 'Damn,' he thought. 'The wound's deep.'  
The griffins used Evon's moment of distraction to dive at him and knock him off of his horse. The horse ran away from the creatures and was gone from Evon's sight. Evon lay flat on his back against the cold ground. The wind had been knocked out of him, and he laid there trying to get up. His chest hurt from the impact, and it was going to be bruised from being slammed into by the griffins. He looked and saw that the griffins had surrounded him. Evon saw evil was clearly present in their beady eyes, and he took a deep breath.  
Evon sat up in time to see the lead griffin, one with blood in its claws, leap forward. Evon clenched his teeth--due to the pain in his shoulder--and pulled his revolvers out of the holstiers at his sides. He fired the revolvers before with lightning speed and dropped the griffin before it could attack him. The griffin's blood splattered the ground and left a puddle where the creature fell. The blood even spattered on Evon.  
The other griffins became angry at their leaders death and began screeching wildly. Evon knew he was in danger, but he couldn't take his eyes off of the blood on the ground. Before he could pull his eyes away, the creatures were ready to attack. Evon fired onto a griffin that lunged for him, and that caused a chain reaction of griffins to leap for him. He kept firing into the swarm of griffins until he ran out of bullets in both revolvers. Then Evon used his primal instincts, he ran.  
Evon ran from the vicious creatures and turned back to see them following him. "Nazalia," he screamed into the woods. He knew that she would hear his cries for help no matter how far she was because it was silent in the woods. He continued to run around trees and zigzag to try and lose some of the griffins, but it was failing. The creatures continued to gain on him, and Evon knew that he was in trouble. He didn't even have time to reload his revolvers with them so close.  
Evon was too preoccupied to see a branch in front of him, and it scraped down his cheek, leaving a bloody line across his face. Evon cursed but had no time to do much else. He knew he had to get away, and he could only think of finding Nazalia for help. 'Come on, Nazalia, I need your help here.' Evon thought as he fell down a hill. He scrambled to his feet just before the griffins flew down onto him.  
Nazalia heard her brother's scream, and she became afraid. She'd never heard fear so strong in Evon's voice, and she steered her horse towards the direction of the scream. Her horse raced forward, and she saw Evon's horse without its rider. "Oh my God." Nazalia breathed panicked. She nudged her horse, and it went even faster. The trees flew past her while her mind was set on finding her brother. She slowed her horse down when she saw a dead griffins and blood on the ground. She shook her head and steered her horse in the direction of shuffled leaves. 'He must be trying to escape,' she thought.  
Evon's heart was pounding, and the front of his shirt was covered in blood from his shoulder. The running caused his blood to surge, and he felt weak from the loss he'd suffered. He started to drop to his knees when he heard the griffins behind him, and he turned to see them. He couldn't run anymore, so he tried to reload one of his revolvers. He was able to get the bullets into the gun, but didn't have time to cock the gun before he felt the griffins tackle him.  
Evon's revolver flew out of his hand and landed at the edge of the cliff that overlooked a swift river. Evon felt himself be knocked over by the griffins and tumble over the rocky edge. He flipped backwards and was able to catch the edge of the cliff before he fell. But, he knew that he couldn't hold onto the edge for long. His shoulder was already protesting against the weight of his body upon its injury. Evon kept his teeth clenched and tried to pull himself up. He looked up to see the beady eyes of the griffins; there was an eagerness in their eyes because they wanted to see him fall. 'Please, Nazalia, help me now.' Evon thought desperately.  
Nazalia found the griffins huddled around the edge of the cliff and she pulled out her revolvers and fired at them. She took them all out before they could realize that they were discovered. Nazalia saw Evon hanging onto the edge of the cliff when the griffins were dead. She leaped off her horse and ran to him. "Evon," she said frantically as she grabbed hold of her younger brother's wrists. She saw his torn shoulder and held back a shudder. She could worry with his wounds once he was safe on solid ground.  
Evon felt dizzy and knew that he didn't have much time before he was out, and he knew that Nazalia couldn't pull him up on her own. So, he used the rocks at his feet to push up on. He was succeeding in getting up the cliff when the rocks broke away, and Evon slipped. He felt his sister's hands clamped against his, but he knew that he wasn't getting up over the ledge. "I'm sorry, Nazalia," he told her.  
"No, Evon, I'm getting you up here." Nazalia firmly told Evon.  
Evon felt his hands slipping out of his sister's, and he saw the dying hope in Nazalia's eyes as she struggled to hold on. He knew it was over seeing that look, and he felt himself slip into unconsciousness.  
Nazalia felt Evon's hands slip out of her own, and he fell down into the river's waters below. She pulled herself up and jumped onto her horse. 'I have to get to the river bank,' she thought as her horse ran as fast as it could. Nazalia fought back her tears because she was determined to save Evon. She finally found the hill that led to the river bank.  
Nazalia was off her horse in the blink of an eye and ran over to the river bank. She saw Evon was laying there against a bolder in the water. Nazalia pulled him out of the water and laid him down on the river bank. He was out cold, but his shoulder was still bleeding. Nazalia took the shred of fabric that had her hair pulled back down and tied it in front of the wound on her brother's shoulder. She felt for his pulse and found it still there; it was weak but there. 'Thank God,' she thought. Then, she lifted her brother up and felt along his back. She winced at the feel of broken ribs, from the hard impact of the water after hitting it as hard as he did. She felt the tears then and she muttered, "I shouldn't have rode so far ahead."  
Tyrney and Benjamin were coming back the way that Nazalia had left from, and Tyrney saw Evon's horse. His eyes widened, and he knew something was wrong. He nudged his horse to a run, which Benjamin followed. Tyrney found the griffins laying in pools of blood, and he felt a knot in his stomach. "Nazalia," he cried out hoping she was nearby.  
Benjamin stopped beside his friend and asked, "What's going on?"  
Tyrney shook his head. "Something is wrong," he said worriedly.  
Nazalia heard Tyrney yell out for her, and she ran back up the hill to find him. "Tyrney!" Nazalia screamed as loud as she could once she reached the top of the hill.  
A gnome poked his head up from underneath a rock on the opposite side of the river bank. He saw Evon laying there, and he stared hard with his pale, pale gray eyes. He finally recognized Evon. "One of the Van Helsings," he said in a gritty voice. "Master will love to hear about this."  
Tyrney and Benjamin heard Nazalia's scream and took off after it. Both were worried she could be hurt. They found her standing on a hill, her cheeks wet with tears. "Help me," she screamed pointing down to Evon.  
Tyrney felt his heart sink at the sight of his little brother laying nearly dead on the river bank. He jumped off of his horse and ran down there. Benjamin hopped down and went over to Nazalia, he touched her shoulder and gave her an empathetic look then followed Tyrney. He and Tyrney gently picked Evon up off of the ground. He was limp, and Benjamin saw Tyrney had grown pale. He was afraid for Evon, but so was Benjamin. Evon was in ill conditions, and he showed very few signs of pulling through until night.  
Tyrney told Nazalia, "Get on your horse!"  
Nazalia mounted her horse, and saw Tyrney and Benjamin set Evon up in front of her. Tyrney looked up at her and said, "You're lighter and can get back home faster." Nazalia nodded and wasted no time in leading her horse back home while Evon was still alive.  
Tyrney stared for a moment until Nazalia's horse was out of sight. He shut his eyes and leaned against his horse. Benjamin mounted his horse and told Tyrney. "Tyr, come on. We should go just in case there are any more griffins around."  
Tyrney knew his friend was right, and he climbed up onto the saddle of his horse. He couldn't get the sting in his heart to die away. He nudged his horse, and it began to run. Tyrney saw Benjamin was right beside him, and he was glad because he couldn't fend off any danger in his current mental condition. He was too rattled by Evon's hope for survival to be tuned into the surroundings. 


	3. Chapter 3: Upon Death's Door

A/N: Shoutout to Hollysgirl and VeronaDracula!! Hope I'm not letting either of you down with this story! It's going to get very exciting, or so I feel it is. Thanks for the reviews for the story before this and to my trailer for this. It really helps to know people are reading.  
  
Nazalia rode quickly to the manor that was her home with Evon leaning against her. She worried about him and felt it was her fault what happened. 'If I had been closer, I could have helped him,' she thought. She shut her eyes tightly and plead silently, 'Please let me get there in time.' Her heart pounded in her chest as soon as she saw the manor growing near. She nudged her horse to make it run faster, and Nazalia couldn't wait for the horse to get closer.  
Nazalia stopped her horse in front of the manor, and she screamed, "Help!" It took only a moment for several helpers to run out and see Evon. They gently lifted him off of the horse and carried him inside. Nazalia dismounted her horse and waited for Tyrney and Benjamin to arrive. They weren't far behind, and she was glad to see them. But, her heart was still aching from Evon's fall. She fought off the tears because she felt hollow and wanted to be alone to cry.  
Tyrney was off of his horse in an instant, and Benjamin followed. The workers there led the horses to the stable, and Tyrney led his sister and friend into the manor. Benjamin glanced over at Nazalia, who was staring down at the ground. He didn't want to see her so miserable, and he knew if half the men in town saw her that way they would want to comfort her. Deep inside, Benjamin wanted to comfort her as well. There was a little flame of burning desire in his heart for Nazalia, but he kept that light put out most of the time. But, Nazalia was in so much pain that he couldn't bear seeing her so emotionally broken.  
Nazalia looked up at Benjamin, and he slowly turned his gaze to the manor. She wished he would hold her then, when she really needed someone to take her and tell her it was going to be all right. But, a little voice in her head protested. 'You know it's not going to be all right, Nazalia. This is all your fault, you should have watched him!' She shut her eyes and took deep breaths to keep her tears still at bay. Nazalia feared what her parents would say to her when they found out what happened. 'They will kill me for not making sure he was right behind me,' she thought. 'I have an obligation as Evon's older sister to make sure he is all right. I failed him, I failed Evon.'  
  
The helpers brought Evon to his bedroom and laid him down on his bed. One quickly told the others. "Quickly, go get Carl!" The helper nodded and ran from the room.  
Another said, "He doesn't look well." The rest nodded solemnly.  
The oldest one, who'd been a friend of the Valerious family for years, said, "He needs good medicine." He knew that wasn't all Evon needed, but it kept the men in the room from worrying. Evon was a tough child, always had been, and the older man was sure that Evon would pull through.  
  
Kevin Dewgall raced through the manor until he found Carl. "Carl, Carl, come quick!"  
Carl turned around and asked, "What's the matter?"  
"It's Evon! He's been hurt, badly. We need you to come assess his injuries." Kevin breathed.  
Carl nodded and told the boy, "Go get the doctor! I'll go up and see what I can do, but we need the doctor."  
Carl rushed to Evon's room and found him laid on his bed as pale as death. Carl approached slowly and noticed the boy's chest barely rose and fell. Carl could tell he had some serious injures in his chest by the staggered breathing. 'Poor kid,' he thought terrified of Evon's actual diagnosis because he knew Anna and Gabriel would be horrified to see their youngest son in such conditions.  
The older man looked over at Carl. "What do you think is wrong?"  
Carl lightly touched Evon's ribs, and felt a lot of swelling. "Possible chest trauma," he said quietly.  
Carl unlatched Evon's vest and shirt and saw Evon's bruised chest. "Oh dear," he said nearly inaudible. Carl turned his attention to the torn skin at Evon's shoulder and said, "We need to get the shirt away from that. The older man untied the cloth tourniquet that Nazalia had put on her brother and slipped the arm of the shirt off. The wound was terribly deep and gory. Carl examined the gashes and swallowed hard because he still wasn't used to seeing blood, especially not the blood of his friends' child. "It seems the muscles have been torn." Carl breathed uneasily.  
The doctor arrived soon enough and was escorted to Evon's room. He shut his eyes first thing when he saw the condition Evon was in. Carl knew that was a terrible sign, and he looked down at the floor. The doctor went over to Evon and worked on sterilizing the wound at Evon's shoulder. Carl saw the doctor sew the gaping wounds up and then apply clean cloths over the wounds. He looked over to Carl, who was hugging his arms and desperately trying not to faint. "He's in rough shape, Carl."  
Carl nodded. "I know," he replied sadly.  
The doctor nodded and told Carl, "Come, I need to have you lift the boy so I can see what damage he might have to his back. Carl walked over to where Evon was lying and carefully lifted him up. Carl had never seen Evon so pitiful, and he felt his nerves break down. It was painful to see a young man like Evon, who was so stubborn, so vulnerable. The doctor made a heart-stopping sound, and Carl knew there was trouble. "What is it, doctor?" Carl asked.  
The doctor hesitated for a moment. "The boy's ribs are a mess. It seems there are no ribs that are not broken."  
Carl winced at that comment. "Then, there is little hope for him," he said quietly.  
The doctor nodded. "There is nothing I can do for Evon at this point. I need to tell Anna and Gabriel."  
Carl sighed. "I will tell them." He laid Evon's broken body back down on the bed. Tears came to his eyes, and Carl saw the doctor tear up as well. It was sad to know that Evon was so young and had no hope for recovering.  
Nazalia had noticed the doctor enter the manor, and she wanted to go see him help Evon. But, she feared the worst would happen if she looked on. She feared that there would be nothing the doctor could do for Evon, and she didn't want to feel her guilt eat at her any further than it had already. She saw Carl come to the door of Evon's room, and he stood there for a moment. "Benjamin, come here," he said.  
Benjamin walked over to his father, and Carl led him into the room. Benjamin looked in his father's eyes. "Evon's not going to make it, is he?" Carl shook his head in response.  
"Go get Gabriel and Anna for me, please." Carl told his son, and Benjamin nodded.  
Benjamin held back the surge of emotions that rose knowing that Evon was dying. He felt angry that Evon could be dying at such a young age, and he wanted to take his aggression out on the creatures that had caused it. But he knew that killing more griffins wouldn't make Evon live, so Benjamin headed for where Gabriel and Anna were at. He walked past Tyrney and Nazalia, who looked at him with prying eyes. They wanted to know about their brother, and Benjamin kept a calm face to keep the pain from seeping to his friends. They would have time to grieve soon enough.  
Anna and Gabriel were sitting with Madeline in the sitting room when Benjamin entered. "Benjamin." Gabriel said, "What's the urgency?" Gabriel sensed fear and anger in the young man's heart.  
"My father asks for you and Anna." Benjamin replied. "Something has happened to Evon."  
Benjamin saw the fear in Gabriel and Anna's eyes, and they quickly fled the room to see about their son. Madeline rose and looked up at her tall son. "Ben," she said quietly. "What has happened?"  
Benjamin held back his emotions and told his mother, "Evon is dying." He saw Madeline's face darken with sorrow, and she pulled her son into an embrace. She could feel his pain, and she stroked his back like she had done when he was upset as a child. He didn't fight her as he normally would do. Benjamin felt comfort in his mother's arms. He knew the comfort would not last long, so he clinged to the comfort he was offered.  
Anna and Gabriel rushed past their two older children, who had terrified expressions. They glanced at each other as their parents passed. They watched their mother and father enter Evon's room and shut the door. Nazalia felt her tears growing again. "Oh, God," she whispered. 'Don't let it be that,' she prayed. 'Don't let it be that Evon is dying.'  
  
Anna put her hand to her mouth when she saw her seventeen-year-old son lying on his bed, nearly dead. She walked over and brushed the wet hair from his face, and brushed his cheek with her fingers. Gabriel stepped closer and saw all the injuries his son had, and he knew Evon's fate. "Carl," he said with a raspy voice as the result of emotional pain. "Is Evon...dying?"  
Carl took a moment to reply because Anna looked up at him with pain filled eyes. He didn't want to confirm to his friends that their son had very little chance to make it to nightfall, much less through the night. But, he knew they had to know. "Yes, Evon is dying."  
Carl winced at Anna's wail, and had to cover his eyes when he saw Anna lean her head down against her son's head. Gabriel dropped to the floor and laid his head in his arms, which were crossed upon Evon's bed. He did not want to believe that Evon was dying because he was too young. Pain struck deep into Gabriel's heart, and he felt weak. His thoughts ran together, and he couldn't sort them out. So, he let his emotions out and cried over the diagnosis for his son.  
Anna raised up with tears freely flowing from her eyes and asked Carl, "What happened?"  
Carl realized he did not hear what had happened to Evon. "I am afraid that I don't know, Anna. Kevin told me I was needed in here, and I came. No one ever told me what happened."  
Anna told him as she looked down at Evon's face. "Go get Nazalia, she'll know what happened."  
Carl nodded and exited the bedroom. He looked over to Nazalia and Tyrney. "Why don't the two of you come in here?"  
Nazalia and Tyrney slowly rose from where they were sitting. Both had a nagging feeling that they all ready knew what they would find out in that room. Neither one wanted to acknowledge it, but they had no other choice. Nazalia saw her parents sobbing over Evon, and she knew her fears were realized. She turned to run, but Tyrney held her back. She looked up at her older brother and saw tears up to the rims of his eyes as he stared over at the scene before them.  
"Nazalia." Anna said to her daughter. "Do you know what happened."  
Nazalia swallowed hard and turned to face her mother. "Yes," she said meekly.  
Gabriel rose up off of the floor and looked over at his daughter. "Then, tell us," he said with a raspy tone of voice.  
Nazalia was able to hold back her tears. "I rode ahead to get some fresh air. Evon was as old as I was when I first rode alone for a little while, I figured he would be all right." She didn't see anger in her parents' eyes, so she continued. "But soon, I heard Evon scream out my name. So, I raced back to where he had been to find a dead griffin. I followed a trail of disturbed leaves to where a group of griffins had gathered. I shot the griffins and found Evon clinging to the edge of the cliff that looks over the river." She had to pause to keep her tears from spilling, and she didn't dare look up at her parents or Tyrney. "I went to him and tried to pull him up, but he lost his foothold on the cliff. I still held onto his wrist, but he was losing consciousness fast. He told me he was sorry and then went unconscious. I tried to pull him up, but I couldn't and lost my grip." Nazalia couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and they poured out of her eyes. "Evon fell into the river really hard. I got back on my horse and raced down to the river bank. Evon was lying against a rock, and I pulled him onto the bank. I tied a tourniquet around Evon's shoulder then heard Tyrney call for me."  
Anna looked over at Gabriel. Neither one could figure out why griffins would attack Evon for no reason. But, that didn't change the outcome of their attack. Evon was dying of internal injuries to his chest, and there was nothing that could stop that pain. Anna laid her head back down against Evon's forehead and cried. But, Gabriel ushered his other two children over to him. They came willingly and were taken in their father's embrace. Carl left the room to give the Van Helsings time alone.  
  
Later, everyone left Evon's room except Nazalia. She sat on the floor with her knees pulled up to her chin. She was sobbing and feeling more and more guilty as the hours passed. She could hear the faint sounds of her brother's labored breathing over the silence and her sobs, and she cringed at every painful breath he took. Evon had made it to dusk, but Nazalia was aware that he was barely alive. He only had a few more hours at the least, and Nazalia was not going to leave his side. 'Not that it helps now,' her brain told her. 'You failed to be at his side when he really needed you. Now, you're just sitting here while he dies.' Nazalia laid her head on knees and let her tears fall like rain.  
Benjamin slipped inside the room and touched Nazalia's arm. "Nazalia," he said gently.  
Nazalia lifted her head. "I should have been there," she cried. "I was too far ahead, and I should have known better."  
"No one is blaming you for what happened." Benjamin told her as he sat down beside Nazalia.  
Nazalia sniffed. "Not yet, but they will. I knew better than to wander away from him."  
Benjamin brushed her curly hair out of her face. "You have been ahead of Evon on rides many times before. Today just was one of those days where everything goes wrong."  
Nazalia wiped her eyes. "Did you see my family's pain?"  
Benjamin shook his head. "No, but I saw the fear in their eyes when I called them to my father."  
"I've never seen that look in their eyes, Ben. They looked hopeless, and they've never been hopeless before." Nazalia cried fresh tears.  
Benjamin took Nazalia in his arms and shushed her. She clinged to him and cried upon his chest. He didn't mind, and he just held her tight while she let out her pain. Benjamin even found a few tears slip down out of his eyes. He didn't know how to feel about what happened, but he knew that it wasn't Nazalia or Evon's fault.  
  
Anna sat looking out her bedroom window. Gabriel stood beside where she was sitting, and he was silent. The moon was shining brightly amongst the stars, and he cursed inwardly at the nerve of the world looking so bright and cheerful on such a devastating night. Anna still had tears rolling out of her eyes, and she finally broke the deafening silence. "Children are suppose to outlive their parents," she said quietly without looking anywhere but outside at the moon.  
Gabriel turned to her and didn't know what to say. Evon was dying far from the age he should be dying at, but there was nothing that could stop it. His ribs could not be repaired, and he couldn't live in the state he was in. There wasn't even much time left for their son, but they had to be alone for a little while.  
"Why hadn't he followed Nazalia?" Anna wondered out loud.  
Gabriel sat down beside his wife and looked at her. She turned to stare at him with pain in her brown eyes. "He must have sensed something was wrong and stopped." Gabriel told her. "You know he was always alert to danger, just never sure where it was."  
Anna cried out, "But, he had always made it through all the other times."  
Gabriel pulled Anna into his arms, and they cried over their son some more. Evon had always been lucky when it came to danger, but his luck had run out. He was lying in his room slowly dying from internal bleeding, but he would not be awake to realized what was happening or to feel the pain of his injuries. That was the only good thought that Gabriel and Anna could even come up with at such terrible times. Evon wasn't in pain, but he was still upon death's door. That part of the reality was what felt like a knife in Gabriel and Anna's hearts. 


	4. Chapter 4: Adam's Surprise

A/N: Thanks to KillerKitty16 for her review. It's good to know I can bring someone other than myself to tears when I write.  
  
Adam Christophen had tended to his emotional wounds left from having to leave his daughter, Madeline, twenty years earlier, but he still had days where he missed his daughter a lot. He especially missed her on the days when he was lonely, and he had been lonely for seventeen years. For three years, he had Madeline's friend Mae to keep him company, more than just intellectual company Mae had been his sexual company as well, but she had stopped coming around a lot. The last time he saw her was very brief, and she just came by to see how he was. She was moving somewhere else, and it had broke Adam's heart.  
Adam had to hire new workers at his home after he let his workers go. He gave his workers the option to leave whenever they felt it was their time to pursue a new calling. He had a houseful of new workers with only one of his first set of workers. Anita, the black African-priestess and immortal, was the only worker who stayed with Adam. She had been his friend for as long as he had been a vampire, and a little before then. He relied on her to get him through the rough days, and she made no fuss about it.  
Anita walked into the living room, where Adam sat staring into the fire. "Adam, honey, how are your spirits?"  
Adam glanced over to her. He knew she worried about his spirits and would use the power she could conjure up to help raise his spirits. "They are lower than normal, Anita. But, I do not wish to have them raised. I would like to have some pain today."  
"Why is that, sir," she asked.  
"Because, I feel a pain in the air that I'm sure is my daughter's." Adam replied.  
Anita stood still and closed her eyes. She was searching for that pain Adam spoke of. He noticed when she had locked onto it. "See, it is Madeline's pain," he told her. Anita nodded in response.  
"I think some tragedy has struck her. I hope it is not her son, Benjamin. I couldn't bare have her face a pain so deep." Adam said gazing into his fireplace.  
"Like the pain you endured." Anita suggested.  
Adam nodded. "I had to work long and hard to get over that pain."  
Adam heard a knock at his door, and he looked over at Anita. "Who could that be at this hour?" It was late in the night, which was the only time Adam could be out of slumber. He was a vampire and had to live in the darkness or wrapped up in a cloak to hide his skin from the sunlight.  
Anita shrugged at his question. "I do not know, honey. It would have to be somebody who knows you are a vampire, or else they would not be here at such an hour."  
Adam got up off of his crimson velvet couch and walked over to his door. Cautiously, he opened the door. He saw a young woman standing in the doorway, no older than Madeline had been when he left her at Anna Valerious's manor. The girl had reddish-blonde hair that hung down to the middle of her back. Her hair was very straight, and she looked pale and breathless. Adam assumed she came from a long journey, mostly because of the dark circles under her eyes. "Hello," he told her.  
The girl looked up at Adam, and he noticed she had vibrant green eyes, a lot like his own. Her face seemed amazingly familiar to Adam, but he didn't know why. "Are you Adam Christophen," she asked breathlessly.  
Adam nodded. "Yes, I am."  
The girl let out a sigh and smiled at him. "I have been seeking you for many nights of harsh travel," she told him.  
Adam ushered the girl inside, and she did not object. Adam told Anita, "Bring out some tea, please?" Anita noticed the girl and how she looked weather-worn, and she went into the kitchen to make some tea.  
Adam gestured for the girl to sit on the couch, and she did. "Anita makes some amazing tea." Adam really did not know that because he drank nothing but blood. But, he had heard from his workers that Anita's tea lifted the spirits and cleansed the body. The girl sitting seemed to need her spirits lifted and soon. Adam had many questions about the girl, but he did not want to be rude and ask them all at once. So, he struck up a conversation with her. "Where have you come from?"  
"My mother and I were visiting Romania, and we were on our way to Transylvania."  
Adam knew that area well from the time he'd spent there. "I've been to Transylvania. It's a very long journey. How come your mother is not here?" He expected the girl to say she had died along the journey.  
"My mother disappeared one night. I had fallen asleep and woke up without her near. I searched for her a whole day and found nothing but an old journal of hers in her bags. I opened the journal and read it. That is how I found out about you." The girl looked up into Adam's eyes like she was searching for answers to questions she had.  
"Why would your mother write about me in her journals?" Adam asked curious to know why a woman would write about him. He did not remember meeting many women when he traveled back from Transylvania to his home in London.  
The girl took a moment to answer. Adam could smell the fear thick upon the girl, and he had a feeling he wasn't going to like the girl's answer. The girl opened her mouth, but still did not answer. The girl swallowed hard, then drew enough courage to speak. "You were her lover."  
Adam stared hard down at the girl and began to realize who she was. The reddish-blonde hair and the girl's vibrant green eyes began to make sense. "Who was your mother?" Adam asked with wide eyes.  
The girl stared into Adam's green eyes, and he felt her fear die out seeing his eyes. "My mother was Mae Robertson."  
Adam sank down onto the arm of the velvet couch from shock, and he stared into the girl's eyes. He was looking at the product of his and Mae's love. 'This girl is my...daughter,' he thought. He felt his heart's pain fade away for a moment at finding a new soul to protect. His eyes grew moist, and he reached out to the girl. He brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and asked, "What is your name, child?"  
"Alexis...Christophen," the girl replied softly.  
Adam felt his heart swell, and he took the girl in his arms. She leaned into his chest and began to cry. He stroked her back, and he held her in his embrace. He had never expected the reason Mae stopped coming to see him was because they had a daughter. He felt a little angry at knowing Mae didn't let him know about Alexis, but the anger didn't last long because Alexis pulled away from his hug. She pulled out a leather-bond book and handed it to him. "Here is my mother's journal," she told him. "If you read the pages, perhaps you will not be angry with her. She was afraid of how to tell you about me."  
Adam held Alexis's eyes, and he took the journal. "What do you think happened to your mother," he asked.  
"She spoke of her enemies looking for her. That was why we were running." Alexis told him.  
"Who were her enemies?" Adam asked.  
"She told me a terrible woman named Victoria." Alexis replied.  
Adam felt his blood boil at Victoria's name. Alexis noticed the fire that burned in his eyes, and she cocked her head to the side. "You know her?" Adam nodded, and Alexis spoke again. "My mother told me that she had to hide me from her. She said Victoria would take me from her, and she wasn't going to let that happen."  
Adam remembered how Victoria had caused him to lose Madeline, and he felt his instincts want to protect the daughter that he'd just found. Victoria had caused him enough pain for his eternal life, and he refused to let her escape his wrath again. "She escaped before I could finish her off," he told Alexis. "She and I had a battle, one that I was winning. So, Victoria ran off when she realized she did not stand a chance against me."  
"I believe Victoria took my mother from me, but I don't know why she didn't take me as well." Alexis told Adam with tears in her eyes.  
"Perhaps that is for the better." Adam told her.  
Alexis's eyes filled with tears. "I miss my mother," she cried.  
Adam watched his daughter cry, then he wiped the tears from her eyes. "I will help you find her."  
Alexis stopped her crying for a moment. "What if she is dead?"  
Adam let a smile spread on his face. "Mae couldn't be killed so easily. Her bloodline is hard to destroy."  
"Because she's a witch."  
Adam nodded, not knowing that Alexis knew Mae had been a witch. "So, you knew your mother was a witch?"  
Alexis nodded and said, "I am one also."  
Adam felt his heart sigh at the fact that Alexis wasn't a vampire like him but a witch like Mae. That gave Alexis a great advantage over him. "You are lucky," he told her.  
"I am lucky that my mother taught me how to use my magic before she disappeared." Alexis agreed.  
Anita returned with tea for Alexis. She saw the drastic change in Adam, and he told her, "Anita, this is Alexis. She is Mae's daughter."  
Anita had a skeptic look in her eyes, so Adam continued. "It appears that Alexis is my daughter." He saw Anita's expression turn to a look of delight. Anita handed Alexis the tea and gazed into the girl's eyes.  
"Yes, she does have your eyes Adam. Those eyes are hard to shrug off as any other bloodline but yours." Anita had joy in her tone, and Adam knew it was because Anita was glad that he finally had someone new to care for. It had been too long since he had a reason to be happy, and Adam was glad to have joy again.  
"Alexis, this is my housekeeper and friend, Anita." Adam said.  
Alexis bowed her head. "Hello," she said.  
"Hello, dear girl. Have you come just in time to cheer Adam's spirits up. Seems his heart has been weighed down with emotions again." Anita told Alexis, who was sipping the tea she'd been given.  
Alexis looked down into the cup of tea. "Mmm, this is good tea."  
"I'm glad you like it. Came up with the blend myself. Added a lot of minerals and herbs to it, so it lifts the spirit while--"  
"Cleansing the body?" Alexis asked.  
Anita grinned then nodded. "Yes."  
Alexis nodded. "I thought so. I haven't felt this well in many days."  
Adam smiled. "Well, you can stay here until I find your mother."  
Alexis glanced over at him. "I'd like to come along."  
Adam furrowed his eyebrows. "It'd be dangerous for you to enter where I'll be heading," he warned her.  
"It was dangerous from whence I came, but I made it." Alexis said, and Adam realized she had his stubbornness as well as Mae's.  
"All right," he replied. "We shall head out and find her day after tomorrow."  
"Why not sooner?"  
"We must rest up and pack everything we'll be needing. That will take up an entire day." Adam answered. "We have to head back to Transylvania, where I feel Victoria will be lurking." 


	5. Chapter 5: A Witch's Help

Benjamin leaned back away from Nazalia, and she stared at him bewildered. "You should get some rest," he told her.  
Nazalia shook her head and told him, "No, I have to stay here with Evon."  
Benjamin caressed Nazalia's cheek, and she felt her body relax at his touch. She wanted Benjamin so badly sometimes it hurt, and her want for Benjamin was trying to overthrow all other emotions. She wished that Benjamin would take her and show her a world away from pain for the night, but she knew he wouldn't. She knew that Benjamin would never touch Tyrney's little sister so inappropriately. So, her mind returned to her guilt and pain.  
"Evon doesn't know you are here, Nazalia. He's not even aware of his pain right now."  
Nazalia stood up and screamed, "How do you know that? How do you know he's not in pain right now? He could be in pain and not be able to escape it!"  
Benjamin rose to his feet and ignored Nazalia's screams of rage and grief. She was suffering from knowing she'd been so close to Evon when he was attacked. He grabbed hold of Nazalia's shoulders. "Look at him one more time, Nazalia. You can see in his face that he is not aware of how his body is broken."  
Nazalia didn't want to look and see her brother's body because it was so broken. It was the Evon she knew, but it was the Evon that she would remember from that day forward. She shut her eyes and told Benjamin, "I was suppose to protect him."  
Benjamin stroked Nazalia's hair and let her hold onto him. He looked over and watched Evon's chest rise and fall, sometimes labored and sometimes not. A few times, Evon's didn't take a breath, and Benjamin knew there wasn't much time left. Evon's fighting spirit was fading fast from his body, and there was nothing to be done. "There isn't much time left," he said quietly, mostly to himself.  
Nazalia heard Benjamin's comment and glanced over at Evon. She realized Benjamin was right. Evon's breathing would stop for several seconds before resuming, and those stops were becoming more and more frequent. "Oh, God," she whispered as she buried her head in Benjamin's chest.  
Benjamin wanted to help Nazalia, but he had no comfort for her. He could show her no intimate side, even if the time wasn't so inappropriate for being intimate, because he basically had promised Tyrney that there was nothing going on between him and Nazalia. Benjamin knew he had lied when he'd told Tyrney that, but he didn't want to lose his friend. But truth was, Benjamin wanted Nazalia as bad as she wanted him. But, he could never act upon those feelings, which made having Nazalia holding onto him a little difficult to deal with.  
Nazalia stared over at Evon, and she realized she had to go over to him. She let go of Benjamin and walked over to where her brother was lying. She saw how bruised his chest was and how blood had seeped through the cloths on his shoulder. Tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry I could not save you, Evon," she whispered. She brushed her brother's hair off of his forehead. "I should have been there so you didn't have to call out for me. I should have been closer to you when you were attacked. Then, you wouldn't have fallen off the cliff, and you would be all right." Nazalia closed her eyes and saw her brother slipping out of her grip and how he apologized to her. "You should not have apologized to me. You had put up a fight while I had done nothing." Tears choked Nazalia up and she put her right hand to her face.  
Benjamin walked over to her and pulled her away from the room. "You need to rest," he told her again.  
Nazalia pulled out of Benjamin's hold. "No, not yet." She walked back over to Evon and stared down at him. His breaths were very scarce and brief when they came. She told Benjamin, "I can't imagine the pain his body's in." Frankly, Benjamin couldn't imagine the pain either.  
Nazalia knew her brother was only moments from death, and she felt peace coming over Evon's body. She didn't want to see him die, so she knew she had to say her goodbyes. She kissed her brother's forehead and told him, "I am sorry I failed you, Evon. But, I will see you again." She held his hand, which was so much larger than her own, for a moment and shuddered at how it was limp. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she said, "Goodbye, Evon."  
Nazalia walked on and let Evon's hand slip from hers as she moved away. Benjamin took her with one arm and led her out of Evon's room. She clung to his side and sobbed to him. He slowly led her towards her room, where she could get some rest. Nazalia realized she needed it.  
  
Victoria appeared in Evon's room after Nazalia left. 'I thought she'd never leave.' Victoria thought. Victoria walked closer to Evon, intrigue filled her eyes. She saw the boy lying on his bed, and she stepped right up to him. 'He's been injured pretty badly,' she thought. 'Charp told me he was. That little gnome knew what he was talking about.' Victoria scanned Evon's face and found a light of hope. 'Perhaps this boy could be of use to me. I may not have succeeded in getting his brother under my rule, but this one has nothing left but death for him. I may as well claim him to do my bidding.'  
Victoria pulled the bloody cloths away from Evon's shoulder. 'Tsk tsk, to think I used to love using griffins,' she thought. 'Now, all they do is make a mess.' Victoria placed her hands over the sewn gashes, and she used her magic to heal the scars and remove the thread.  
After a moment, Victoria moved her hands away to find Evon's shoulder as good as new. 'Good," she thought. Then, she turned her attention to Evon's badly bruised chest. "Looks like his ribs took a hard hit," she said quietly.  
Victoria ran her hands along Evon's bruised and swollen chest. She could feel the bones mending themselves back together under her touch. 'Yes,' she thought. 'Mend, that's what I want you to do.' She could hear Evon's breathing grow stronger at every rib that mended from her magic. Victoria could not stop the evil grin that spread across her face. She was thrilled that her magic was still as strong as ever, even after hiding underground for twenty years.  
Victoria pulled her hands away from Evon's chest, the bruises and swelling gone, and he took a deep breath. She watched the boy begin to stir, and she leaned closer to him. His warm breath tickled her cheek, and she saw his warm brown eyes open. 'Yes,' she thought. 'You haven't lost your touch.' Victoria congratulated herself.  
Evon saw the dark-haired woman and stared to speak to her, but she put her hand in front of his mouth. Victoria appeared so sweet and innocent, but Evon's eyes searched her for answers to his questions. He wanted to know who she was and what did she want from him. She smiled sweetly and brushed hair out of his eyes, and he leaned away from her. She spoke to him, "It's all right, dear boy. I will not harm you. I've just saved you from death."  
Evon glanced over to his shoulder and found no claw marks, and he knew there had been claw marks from his run in with the griffins. He looked over to Victoria, and he had a look of fear in his eyes. 'I know I was injured, and I know I fell had to have fallen into the river.' Evon thought. 'How am I here?"  
There was an unusual darkness to Evon's room, and he saw features move in that darkness. He looked closer and saw creatures come out of the darkness. They were mangy creatures with gnarled wings and glowing red eyes. Evon felt his heart speed up, and he sat up. Victoria continued to smile at him, but the smile was no longer so sweet and innocent. Evil had crept in, and Evon knew he was in trouble. "What do you want," he asked trying to remain calm, which was a losing battle.  
Victoria strolled over to her creature friends and twirled around until she faced Evon once again. She held her hands out to her sides, and she stared at Evon along with her grotesque creatures. Evon knew they wanted him to join them, but he did not know why. His throat felt very dry, and he had a need to run. Danger was clouding the air, and it was slowly suffocating Evon.  
Victoria walked closer to Evon once more then held out her hand. "Come, Evon, join us," she said gently.  
Evon leaned back away from Victoria's hand. "What do you want," he repeated as he stared wildly into Victoria's eyes.  
Victoria's eyes held Evon's gaze, and he noticed a power to her eyes. He ignored it when she spoke. "Because I helped you survive. And, a witch's help always requires something in return." Evon could see the evil in Victoria, and the evil she wanted to involve him in. He wanted no part of it, and he started to get up.  
Victoria grabbed Evon's arm and squeezed it as hard as she could, and she had a tight grasp because of her magic. Evon's face twisted in pain, and he was pulled over to face Victoria. Her eyes were hypnotic, and Evon could do nothing while his mind was overthrown by her powers. He caught a glimpse into her plans before he lost all of his will power to her magic. Evon wanted to scream, but it was all ready too late for anything to save him from Victoria's evil grasp. He was hers to command, and his true self was forced to the back of his mind.  
Victoria watched Evon's head slump forward for a moment, but he raised his head up soon enough. He opened his dark eyes, and Victoria was overjoyed at the crazed look in his eyes. She laughed and said, "Even after so long, I still have no limits to my power." Evon smiled at her evilly, and Victoria buttoned up his shirt while instructing him. "Evon, you will come with me, to my lair where we will devise a plan to teach your family a lesson."  
Evon nodded but asked her, "Why do they need taught a lesson?"  
Victoria scowled. "They treated me like a monster when I knew them, and that is not acceptable. Besides, you get less attention than your brother and sister. Why not punish them for your parents poor judgement?" Victoria knew she was lying and Evon was treated as equally as his siblings, but her words seemed to affect Evon.  
His face darkened while his gaze hardened. "All right, I will help you."  
Victoria clasped her hands together. "Wonderful," she told him. "Now, pick up your weapons."  
Evon glanced over at the floor beside his bed and saw only one of his revolvers. 'Oh yes, I lost the other when Nazalia didn't come to help me,' he thought. His anger rose as Victoria's lies overthrew his memories. He believed his sister had refused to help him because she wanted him dead.  
Evon jumped down off of his bed and picked up his revolver and ammunition. He slipped the revolver into its holster and walked up to Victoria. She touched his shoulder and waved her hand in front of her. The darkness began to swirl until a portal came into view, and it held entrance to a dark hallway. "Come, let us enter my lair." Victoria told him. "It is deep under the ground where no one know to look."  
Evon walked along side Victoria, and her creatures followed. Evon felt nothing but hate swirling inside, and he was happy to leave his room in the manor. Victoria took one last look around Evon's room then grinned with satisfaction. 'Perfect,' she thought. 'I may have not managed to snare Tyrney in my grasp when he was a baby, but I have Evon in my grasp. I believe he will do better than Tyrney ever would.'  
  
Victoria led Evon down the dark hallway; her hand was on the center of his back. He was taller than she was, but she knew she was in control. He glanced around curiously as he took in his surroundings. There were torches along the walls, that only shed light on the bleak mood. There was nothing that adorned the walls, just the light from the torches. The walls were all black, and Evon didn't know how they could have color if they were underground.  
"The rock has changed color this far down." Victoria told him when she noticed his gaze had fixated on the black stone walls.  
Victoria noticed Evon take in the information, and she found he was very peculiar. 'The boy is very quiet. I wonder why. Perhaps I can get him to open up the longer he is with me. Although, why should it matter. I will just have him kill Tyrney and Nazalia. Why does he need to talk to me if he is just my puppet of destruction?' Victoria smiled at the thought of the pain Anna and Gabriel would be in if their two children were killed by their younger brother. Anna and Gabriel would be devastated, especially after they found out Evon was loyal to her. 'I will enjoy the look on their faces that day.' Victoria thought. 


	6. Chapter 6: Note on the Door

A/N : I use the last name Sawyer, as in Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer--which I'm sure you guessed that. I have my character as Tom Sawyer and Becky--I don't remember her last name--'s son. I do not own the name Sawyer, I just use it for one of my characters. I also can't remember what time setting Tom Sawyer was, so the years may be a little messed up. I'm sorry for this, but I want this certain character to be Tom Sawyer's son.  
  
Victoria entered her own room after leaving Evon in the room that would be his, and she sat down by her crystal ball. She waved her had at it, and its contents sprung to life. Mist swirled inside of it, and Victoria set her fingers upon it. "Show me what has been going on with that girl we found by Mae. I want to know about her."  
The crystal ball showed Victoria the conversation between Adam and Alexis, and Victoria could hardly contain her laugh. "That is Mae's child, whom Adam fathered. Well, this day keeps getting better. It seems I will have to make another addition to my little lair." Victoria grinned at her idea of kidnapping Alexis and forcing her to join sides with her, like Evon.  
Victoria stared into the crystal ball at Alexis's face. "Yes, she will make a perfect addition."  
Victoria took her hands off of the crystal ball, and it froze on Alexis's face. Victoria clapped her hands and called out, "Charp!"  
The little gnome appeared in no time, and bowed before Victoria. "Yes, my lady?"  
Victoria pointed to her crystal ball. "This girl, I want her brought here."  
Charp wrung his hands. "How do we plan on getting her here," he asked timidly.  
Victoria grinned an evil grin. "Send my babies out into the daylight for her. She resides in London with Adam Christophen." Victoria hissed out Adam's name because she hated him so. She hated him for nearly killing her twenty years before. He was a strong vampire to be as young as he was, and Victoria hated him for that.  
Charp nodded. "Yes, I'll send the Vulgons out at once, my lady." The Vulgons were the mangy winged creatures Evon had saw. They were part vulture and part dragon. They had feathers here and there, long necks that were as thin as a small branch, and a horned nose like a dragon. They were a very ugly creatures. Most of them were not full grown, but a handful of them were. They were the ones to look out for because they were dangerous. Those would be the ones to collect Alexis.  
Charp departed Victoria's room and left her smirking. "Adam, it has been too long since I last made your life Hell," she said to the darkness.  
  
Alexis was glad to finally find her father because she had been running from Victoria for so long that she was exhausted. Mae had wrote how dangerous it would be if Victoria got a hold of Alexis in her journal, which Alexis read. Alexis didn't want to be used for evil, so she had fled Romania as soon as she could. She had not noticed Victoria's magic follow her to London, so she felt very safe in Adam's large mansion-like house.  
Alexis changed out of her dress leaving only her chemise. She pulled back the covers on the bed. She had been told to go into Madeline's old room. Alexis sensed Madeline's old presence to the room, and it made the room feel a bit more homey. Alexis laid down onto the bed and noticed that there was a window with heavy velvet curtains that kept the light of day out of the room. 'Obviously, Madeline was a vampire like her father,' she thought.  
Alexis got back up off of the bed and went to the window. She threw back the curtains and enjoyed the small bit of morning light that shone in. Alexis smiled as she looked out at London, then she headed back over to the bed. She laid down and pulled the blankets up around her. The material was a rich fabric, and Alexis felt spoiled by it. She loved how it was soft to the touch, but she was too tired to stay fascinated with the blanket. She fell fast asleep in just a matter of moments.  
  
A few hours later, the vulgons were flying high above the clouds when they reached London. It was dangerous for them to be much lower because someone would see them and cable for Rome, where the Vatican held a secret Holy Order that hunted down evil. The vulgons were perfectly aware that they would fall into category of monster, and they would be hunted down by the Vatican's new Knight of the Holy Order. It was a man named William Sawyer, a man that traveled from America to heed the Vatican's call for a new protector of the Holy Order. They had heard rumors that he was reckless in his pursuit of killing evil creatures. People often whispered to themselves that Gabriel Van Helsing's antics were hardly as irrational as William Sawyer's antics ended up being.  
William Sawyer was a young man, barely twenty-two, and he never worried with being seen in crowds. He did wear all black, a lesson that Gabriel Van Helsing had taught him. William was well liked by all he met, even if sometimes he stood over a dead victim, that was once a werewolf or creatures along those lines. William acknowledged that he and Gabriel had that in common, and he also liked seeing the Cardinal angry. Cardinal Jinette had been replaced soon after Gabriel had retired. A middle aged man had taken his place, but he had the same attitude as Jinette that few noticed Jinette's absence.  
The vulgons had heard that William was in London hunting down gargoyles, which seemed to appear in cities more frequently over the years. But, the vulgons made sure they avoided any scene where gargoyles would take refuge just incase William showed up. The vulgons were smart creatures to be so horrid looking.  
Their sight spotted the mansion of Adam Christophen, and they swooped down from the clouds. The workers outside the mansion didn't even noticed the vulgons because they were concentrating on their specific jobs. The vulgons were perched on the large ledge of the window that showed view of Alexis sleeping. The vulgons watched her for a few moments and wondered how they could get her out of the room without the workers hearing her screams. The creatures began to chatter to themselves in their native tongue, a deep chirping and clicking sound.  
The vulgons finally decided they would swiftly enter the room and kidnap Alexis from her bed. The nudged the window open with their noses, and were shocked that it opened so easily. They slipped inside and watched the pretty reddish-blonde girl as she slept. They marveled at her beauty, and they realized she looked a lot like her mother. Her facial structure was nearly identical to Mae's, and she had the same vibe that Mae gave off. The vulgons hovered over Alexis for several minutes before remembering they had a job to do.  
The largest vulgon grabbed Alexis, who woke up and was about to scream, and covered her mouth. He leapt for the window then spread his wings to take flight. He turned his head to make sure the rest of his kind did the same. Alexis squirmed in his grasp, and she found the creatures horribly ugly. But, she knew better than to wiggle out of the hold of a creature that was flying high about the tops of buildings. Even Alexis, being a witch, couldn't handle a fall like that. So, she stopped moving and let the vulgon carry her away from her father's mansion.  
It was nightfall before Adam woke to a horrible nagging feeling something was wrong, and he knew his vampire powers enough to know they weren't wrong . He jumped up and dressed in his normal outfit, like nobility of London. He rushed downstairs to find Anita, and he was running through his mansion to find her. "Anita," he called out.  
Anita found him and asked, "Where is Alexis?"  
Adam felt the words hit him like a hammer. "You don't know where she is?"  
Anita shook her head and saw the fear in Adam's eyes. "She isn't in Maddy's old room, and I haven't been able to find her outside."  
Adam rushed up to the room where his daughter had been when he had gone to sleep that morning. 'Please don't be too far, Alexis,' he thought. 'Just be somewhere close.' He bound up the stairs and found the door open, and he pushed it open. He glanced around the room and saw the window was open and the bed was unmade, but nothing that was cause to worry. Adam headed over to the window as Anita entered the room.  
Adam noticed claw and distress marks on the window seal, and he touched the grooves with his fingertips. He could see the creatures that left the marks in his head, and he jerked to get the image out of his head. He turned around and saw Anita watching him carefully, but he really wasn't paying attention to Anita. He was looking past Anita to the bedroom door, where there was a note stuck there.  
Adam rushed over to the door, and Anita turned around to see the note. Before she could read it, Adam ripped it off of the door; it had been attacked to the door with the sticky spit of the vulgons. Adam read the note silently:  
  
Adam,  
Thank you for giving me the piece of my puzzle that has been missing. I have been searching for her since I captured her mother. She is a big key in my revenge, and I hope she likes it here in my lair. She won't be alone, I have more quests to keep her company. Too bad you had to meet her before she became my pawn.  
Yours Truly,  
Victoria  
  
Adam growled as he crumpled the note up and threw it onto the floor. Anita stared into his green eyes with a requesting look. "Victoria," he told her, and she nodded as she understood his outburst. He had fire in his eyes, and Anita knew there would be no stopping him in his next quest. She knew he would go after Victoria and take revenge upon her for all the pain she'd caused him.  
He paced around the room for a moment then looked Anita dead in the eye. "I'm going after her, Anita."  
Anita nodded. "I knew you would, honey."  
Adam strolled forward, and Anita moved out of his way. She heard him descend the stairs before she moved. 'He'll be getting himself in a lot of trouble,' she thought. 'I just hope he's learned enough to keep him alive.'  
Adam raced over to his room and packed his bags, while he heated water for a quick bath. He stood in front of his window for a moment and promised, "Victoria, you will die for all my pain. Make no mistake about that." Then, he resumed to his packing. But, he never let his mind drift from the thrill of having Victoria in his grasp, draining her body of its life and destroying her soul. He felt a tingling sensation rush through his body at the thought of Victoria dead in his arms, and an evil grin spread across his face. 


	7. Chapter 7: Midnight Departure

Anna and Gabriel had walked over to their son's room to say goodbye to him one more time, but they found the room empty. Anna held her hand to her mouth but didn't know what to think, so she looked over to Gabriel. Gabriel looked horrified because he couldn't figure out how their son could be gone when he had been in that room dying only a few hours before. The two of them heard footsteps near, and they looked over to see Tyrney enter the room, and he gasped.  
"What happened," he asked.  
Anna and Gabriel shook their heads, and Tyrney went into the room. He went over to Evon's bed and looked for clues to his disappearance, but all he found were the bloody cloths that had covered Evon's shoulder. There was a faint smell that was inhuman, but Tyrney had never smelled such a stench before. It was not putred, but it was not a pure sweet smell either. It was reptilian except for the smell of fowl, and Tyrney had no idea what the smell could have came from. He assumed that there had been reptiles and birds in the room after he had left. He noticed faint claw marks on the stone floor, and he walked over there. Stooping down, Tyrney ran his hand along the scratches and found them unlike most.  
Gabriel stooped down beside his oldest son, and Tyrney glanced up at him. "See this?" Tyrney asked. Gabriel nodded, so Tyrney continued. "It appears to be marks from dragon claws."  
Anna asked, "How could dragons get in here?"  
Tyrney shrugged. "I am not sure, but they had to be small judging from these marks."  
Gabriel touched the marks, but felt no evil from them. "It wasn't an evil creature that left these marks, Tyrney," he said.  
"Father, it had to be. They took Evon, I'm sure. There's a smell of fowl and reptiles in here that was not here before."  
Gabriel stared at his son. "I know, but I do not sense evil from these scratches."  
Tyrney sighed and tried to feel with his touch of sixth sense. 'I have to know what he's talking about,' he thought. He didn't really trust Gabriel's statement because he wanted the creatures that left the marks to be evil. Tyrney wanted something evil to be blamed for Evon's disappearance. He felt evil coming from somewhere, and he followed the trace over to Evon's bed. He touched the side of the bed and felt the evil attack his senses like fire. He cried out and dropped down to the floor.  
Gabriel and Anna rushed over to their son. "What happened?" Gabriel asked as he pulled Tyrney up off of the floor.  
Tyrney pointed to the bed. "Feel the edge of it, evil is radiating from it."  
Gabriel set his hand down upon the bed and felt the evil rush through his senses. He closed his eyes and slowly pulled his hand away. "There is a familiar evil there," he said desperately trying to locate the horrible evil. But, he came across a blank.  
Anna looked over at Gabriel. "Why would someone take Evon," she asked with tears in her eyes. He shook his head and took her in his arms.  
Tyrney stared around the room and desperately wanted to know what happened to Evon. He felt his sibling instincts raging through him, an he couldn't just stand there an do nothing. "We have to find him."  
"How?" Gabriel asked in a rather harsh tone, that took Tyrney by surprise.  
"I don't know, but we cannot just let them take him somewhere while he's hurt."  
Tears fell down Gabriel's cheeks. "Tyrney," he said strongly, "Evon is gone whether we find his body or not."  
Tyrney fought back the angry tears and rushed out of the room. He didn't believe a word of that, and he wanted to prove it. 'Evon is not gone. I can feel it. Why can't he,' he thought referring to his father. 'He doesn't want to believe anymore. He's relying only on what his eyes saw, not what his heart saw. I can't do that, not now or ever. Evon is still alive, and I won't stop searching until I find him.'  
Tyrney went up to his room and looked out the window. It was nearing midnight, and he knew his parents would return to their room for rest and to grieve. But, Tyrney would not take part in their grieving while he knew there was nothing to grieve over, not while he still felt Evon's spirit. 'I will ride out tonight,' he thought. So, Tyrney grabbed a bag and began packing supplies to depart.  
Anna and Gabriel did retire to their room, and that was when Tyrney slipped out of his room. He went to the armory and packed several weapons into the holsters he'd strapped on. He grabbed extra ammunition and grabbed his bag of supplies that would keep him alive for his trip. Then, he quietly made his way through the hallway and to the front door. He took a note that he had written out of his pocket and set it on a table by the front door, then he left. The night air was crisp and chilly, and Tyrney congratulated himself on grabbing his leather duster before leaving the manor.  
Tyrney headed around the back of the manor to the stables, and he whistled quietly to awaken his black steed. The horse woke up and whinnied at Tyrney happily. Tyrney pulled out a few sugar cubes from his duster pocket and held them out to the horse as a bribe. The horse took them willingly, and Tyrney unlatched the gate that kept his horse in. He grabbed the saddle, reins, and the rest of the supplies that were needed to set out on his ride and readied his horse for the trip. The horse tugged at Tyrney's duster playfully, and Tyrney patted its muzzle. Then, he led the horse out of the stables.  
Tyrney mounted his horse then pulled on his gloves too keep his hands warm in the chilly air. Tyrney thanked luck that he had worn a shirt with a hood, and he pulled the hood over his mop of chestnut colored curly hair. Then, he nudged his horse to take off. The horse obeyed and raced out towards the dark night, and Tyrney felt his senses tune in on Evon's spirit. He was surprised he was not sleepy or exhausted, but he did not complain. 'I really should have brought Benjamin on this journey,' he thought. 'He is always handy to have around where vampires are near. But, he might not have believed me in that I can sense that Evon still lives. So, I must embark on this journey alone. I'll be all right, I have Valerious and Van Helsing blood.'  
  
Benjamin was asleep, but it was an uneasy sleep. His mind kept telling him something was wrong, and that he should wake up. But, his body was tired and didn't want to listen to what his mind was saying. So, his mind began to show Benjamin dreams that were recent events. He saw Evon lying in his room dying, he saw Nazalia crying in the floor, and Nazalia agreeing to rest. But, his mind showed him Evon's room empty except for Tyrney, Anna, and Gabriel. He saw Tyrney become angry and leave the room. There was a chill that went through Benjamin's body as he watched Tyrney ride out of the village on his horse.  
His brain was screaming for him to wake up that there was evil awakened, but Benjamin couldn't rose himself from sleep. He struggled with the chaotic dreams while tossing and turning in his bed. The dreams wouldn't stop, and Benjamin was growing restless. But, he soon heard something that woke him from his dreams.  
  
Nazalia was dreaming as well, but she was seeing Evon fall over and over in her mind. She cried in her sleep as she called out to him. Each time Evon fell, her dream twisted and became more of a nightmare until Evon fell into a dark pit where she could not see down into. Nazalia woke up screaming and put her hands to her face. She wept as she thought about the cruel reality of Evon's death, and how she had been too far away to save him. The guilt was eating her alive, but she held no cure for the guilt.  
Benjamin had heard Nazalia's screaming, and he woke up. Without thinking, Benjamin headed up to Nazalia's room and opened the door. She saw him and tried to hide her tearstained face, but Benjamin walked over to her and sat down upon her bed. She leaned over to him, and he took her in his arms once again. Nazalia's only comfort was Benjamin's embrace, but her love for him wasn't enough to stop the guilt that weighed heavy in her heart. Nazalia could hear Benjamin's heart beating steadily, and it calmed Nazalia's sobs to a quiet crying. He stroked her back, and she buried her face in his chest.  
Benjamin was a little uneasy at that, mostly because he was still battling his feelings for Nazalia since he had promised Tyrney there was nothing between Nazalia and himself. But, having Nazalia in his arms made his attraction to her hard to bear. Benjamin sighed quietly and stared out the window, and his thoughts settled upon his dreams. 'What could they mean? Did Tyrney really just leave like that?'  
  
Tyrney felt a bit chilled from having his horse ride so fast, so he slowed his horse down to a walk. The horse kept looking over at the woods beside it, but it was not worried. It was intrigued to be out for a walk at night, and it was just taking in the sight of it all. Tyrney, on the other hand, was very worried and continuously glanced around staring off into the darkness. He didn't like being alone in the woods, especially after crossing paths with a vampire that day. 'Only, Ben isn't here beside you to kill the vampires. You are on your own now,' he thought.  
Tyrney heard a werewolf's cry not far from him, and he nudged the horse once more. The horse was ready to run without the nudge after hearing the werewolf cry. It raced for the exit out of the woods, and Tyrney silently prayed they would make it out of the woods in time. That wouldn't stop the creature, but it would give Tyrney more room to fight. He felt his heart pound against his chest as he saw the moonlight show the way out of the woods. Tyrney held his breath as he and his horse exited the woods, and he turned around and tried to see if the werewolf had followed him.  
The werewolf cried out again, but it was far away. So, Tyrney relaxed and let out a sigh. 'That could have been very close,' he thought. 'Very, very close.'  
  
Benjamin left Nazalia's room after she calmed down, but he left mostly because he couldn't handle having her so close to his body any longer. He didn't even remember his dreams about Tyrney's departure when he got back to his own room. He just thought about how warm he'd gotten from being so close to Nazalia. He paced around his room as he cleared his mind of all thoughts of Nazalia just so he could find sleep once more. He laid down on his bed and took a deep, cleansing breath. He felt calm and was able to fall asleep again. There were no more thoughts of Nazalia or Tyrney's midnight departure.  
  
A/N: Sorry, the chapter's a bit boring. But, I'm just setting up for later. 


	8. Chapter 8: Girl in Chains

Victoria came to see her new captive that her vulgons brought in, and she relished the anger that Alexis gave off. "Welcome." Victoria told her, but Alexis just spit at her. "My are you so much like your mother," she stated.  
Alexis grew still at the mention of her mother. "Where is my mother? What have you done with her?" Alexis demanded to know.  
Victoria smiled but did not answer. "Don't worry with your mother, Alexis. All you have to worry about is my orders. You'll be following them from this moment on."  
Alexis smirked. "Highly unlikely, Victoria."  
Victoria smirked again then stared into Alexis eyes, and Alexis noticed that they were different. Victoria was trying to hypnotize her, and she laughed. "Your cheap tricks won't work on me, Victoria, I have too much of my mother in me."  
Victoria, realizing that Alexis spoke the truth, hissed under her breath and decided that the girl was useless to her. "Take her away!" Victoria demanded.  
The vulgons obeyed and drug Alexis, who was kicking and screaming, through the dark hallways. She noticed that only torches shed light in the room, and she felt her heart begin to drown in a sea of darkness. There was too much darkness, but Alexis tried to steady herself. 'It is just your nerves. Give it a minute, then you will be all right.' Alexis knew she was lying to herself, but she had to just to feel better about being in a bleak prison that was nothing but darkness.  
The vulgons forced Alexis into a dark room with a bed in one corner and chains hanging from the wall nearby. They chained Alexis up to the wall, and she screamed for no one in particular. She knew her screams were useless, but she had nothing else to do. Her magic was not skilled enough to win her an escape from the vulgons, so she didn't even try. Hot tears threatened to overtake Alexis as the vulgons paused to view their handiwork. 'I am stuck here,' she thought angrily. 'I am unable to return to my father, and I know nothing of my mother's condition. What am I to do?'  
The vulgons left with heavy hearts; they didn't like causing pain for Alexis because they were good creatures. They were just too loyal to Victoria to disobey her and let Alexis run free. They were also watched by Victoria's little spy, Charp. The gnome made sure that the vulgons completed their assignment before he raced back to report to Victoria. He was skipping gleefully and entered Victoria's room, where he found her very stressed. "My lady, your vulgons have chained Alexis up," he said proudly as if he had chained the girl up on his own.  
Victoria turned to Charp, who froze in her glare. "That girl was suppose to cooperate! Damn that Mae for passing on her stubbornness!"  
Charp told Victoria, "Perhaps Evon can get her to change her mind and help you."  
Victoria glared down at the gnome as she thought about his response. "It's a scatterbrained idea, but it has promise." She grinned evilly. "I like it. Perhaps my little human puppet can show his worth sooner than I planned. He should be rested by now. Come, Charp, let's go work our charm."  
"Yes, my lady." Charp replied as he trailed Victoria's footsteps like her shadow.  
Victoria rapped on Evon's door, and he opened it slightly. Victoria noticed he was freshly bathed and had washed his clothes. 'Good boy,' she thought. "Evon, come, I have a guest I'd like you to meet."  
Evon just stared at her with his crazed, brown eyes. "Tell me who," he demanded.  
Victoria's eye twitched at being demanded; she didn't like having to listen to demands, but Evon was her way to avenge herself. So, Victoria let his demands slide. "A girl," was all Victoria gave as a description.  
Evon had a gleam in his eye and walked out of his room. He closed the door and told Victoria, "Why should I meet this girl?"  
Victoria grinned. "Because the two of you could work together to bring your family down. Wouldn't you like to see that, Evon? See your family suffer for ignoring you." Victoria watched as her lies served as truths to Evon's crazed state.  
"Yes, I would like to see that." Evon replied with an evil grin.  
Victoria put her hand on Evon's arm. "Then follow me."  
Evon willingly followed Victoria and Charp down a series of dark hallways that twisted and turned until they reached the room where Alexis was being held. Victoria stopped at the door. "She is in here," she told Evon. "Beware, she isn't so reluctant to help us yet."  
Evon smiled. "Give her a chance to meet me. I'll change her mind," he told Victoria.  
"Oh, how wonderful. That would be most helpful of you." Victoria said as she opened the doors lock with her magic.  
The door slid open, and Victoria strolled on in. Alexis glared up at the sight of her. "What do you want?" Alexis asked her tone full of hate.  
"I want you to meet someone." Victoria replied mocking Alexis with her smile.  
Alexis growled, "I don't want to meet any of your minions, Victoria!"  
Victoria smirked. "That's a shame, Alexis. But, he is not my minion; Evon is the key to my success. Evon, dear, come here."  
Evon didn't like being ordered around, but he entered the room because he wanted to meet the girl that was standing her ground to Victoria. Evon gazed at the girl with reddish-blonde hair and felt an attraction to her. He smiled at her and watched as her confidence failed her. 'Well, that wasn't so hard. Funny I can reduce this girl to silence when Victoria failed to do the same with her magic.' Evon thought.  
Victoria was jealous that Alexis spoke no more when Evon entered the room. 'Perhaps this is working too well,' she thought. Then she glanced over to Charp. 'I'll just take it out on Charp later.'  
Alexis felt her mouth go dry as she looked up at Evon. She felt her body heat up in his presence, and that scared her. Her nerves had never turned to putty at the expense of another being, and she didn't like that Evon had done just that. Alexis stared to the ground just to avoid Evon's eyes. She still felt his gaze upon her, and it tormented her. 'Stop looking at me,' she thought in regards to Evon.  
"Why is she in chains?" Evon asked.  
Victoria glared over at Alexis and watched her squirm against the chains. "I wouldn't want her to run away."  
Evon walked closer to Alexis, and she looked up at him. She appeared powerless as she looked up into his eyes, and he relished her helplessness. Evon touched Alexis's cheek with his fingertips, and Alexis shut her eyes and felt her body go weak. Victoria noticed that Evon had such an overpowering effect on Alexis, and she became jealous that he could force her to be quiet and be seemingly obedient. Victoria pulled Evon back by his arm and told him, "We should go now."  
Evon glanced over at Victoria and felt a hate for her but didn't know why. She just commanded him, and he didn't care for that. He wanted to see harm come to her, especially for having Alexis chained up against her will. 'A woman so beautiful shouldn't be chained up,' he thought. He looked over at Alexis with lust, and Alexis had a look of fear in her eyes. Evon wanted to relieve Alexis of that fear, but Victoria kept pulling at his sleeve.  
He gave Alexis one final look before following Victoria out of the room. He felt the urge to burst back into the room and free Alexis of her chains. But, Charp was keeping an eye on him. Not that Evon couldn't have taken Charp down; he just preferred to pick on creatures his own size, and Charp was one-forth his size. He glared down at the gnome, who shuddered in Evon's gaze. 'Nice to know he's afraid of me.' Evon thought. 'I can use that to my liking later by threatening him to get past him.'  
Victoria held onto Evon's wrist tightly because she knew he would go back to Alexis if she slackened her grip. 'I can't afford to have him setting her free because she is too important now. I have to find a way to overpower her will, then she will be more use to me than Evon will be.' Victoria looked over at Evon, who still glared at her. 'His attitude is far from seeming obedient. What if he doesn't want to help me? Who am I joking? I will just have to use stronger magic on his will or this new personality I've opened up.'  
"Who is that girl?" Evon asked demandingly.  
Victoria sighed. "The daughter of my enemies."  
Evon let out a demonic laugh. "How many enemies do you have, Victoria? My family, her family, and who else Victoria?"  
Victoria scowled at Evon. "Laugh all you want, boy. I'm in control here, no matter how smug you are."  
Evon quit laughing and resumed his glare. "I don't think you have the guts to control me, Victoria."  
Victoria stopped and grabbed Evon and shoved him against the wall, which caused the wall to crack around Evon's body. "Listen to me," she growled. "You'll never be able to kill Tyrney without my help. You need me." Her eyes glared up at Evon, who stared down at her.  
"Why do I need to kill Tyrney?"  
"Kill him to get back at your parents. Don't you remember what I've told you?" Victoria's eyes softened and saw Evon's eyes darken. His mind remembered what he'd been told, but he didn't know they were lies.  
"All right, you have a point." Evon admitted.  
Victoria smiled. "Yes, I do." She let Evon down, and dusted off his shoulder. He kept a scowl on his face, but she ignored it because she had won in terms of superiority. He would listen to her no matter how head strung he was because she was stronger than he was. Victoria took great pride in that. "We will devise a plan soon. We need to know your brother's whereabouts first."  
"Indeed," was all Evon said to her. He didn't want to converse with Victoria because he was angry that she had more magic aiding her every move than he had intended. 'I could still kill her,' he thought. 'One shot from my revolver in the right place would lay her down.' He waited until Victoria turned around before he glared at her anymore. 


	9. Chapter 9: Going after Tyrney

Nazalia woke to the sound of her mother's wails, and she jumped out of bed. She raced to where Anna was standing, and she saw there was a note in her hands. "Mama?" Nazalia asked. Anna looked over at her daughter with fear in her brown eyes, and Nazalia felt a lump grow in her throat. "What is it?"

Anna pointed down the hall. "Go get your father," she ordered her daughter.

"Not before I know what is going on." Nazalia said firmly.

Anna scowled at her daughter. "You will know after you fetch your father."

Nazalia sighed and raced for her parent's room. "Father," she cried out through her panting. Gabriel woke and stared over at his daughter. "Mama told me to come bring you to her."

Gabriel got up and followed Nazalia to the front door, where Anna stood looking very lost. Gabriel touched her arm. "Anna," he said gently.

Anna looked up at her husband. "It's Tyrney," was all she told him as she stared up into his dark eyes. Gabriel took the note from Anna, but she finished her thought. "He's left."

"What?" Nazalia cried out in a disbelieving way.

Anna and Gabriel turned to their daughter. "Nazalia." Gabriel started.

"Why would he run off when Evon--" Nazalia was ranting.

"Evon has disappeared." Gabriel told her.

Nazalia stopped her speech and stared in bewilderment at her father. "He's disappeared? As in--"

"As in he isn't in his room at all." Gabriel told her.

"How," was all Nazalia could say.

Gabriel and Anna shook their heads. "Tyrney believed something took him. I never believed he'd go searching for Evon." Gabriel said quietly. "Who knows how much trouble he'll get into all alone."

Nazalia raced from the room and banged on Benjamin's bedroom door. "Ben, wake up!" She continued to bang on the door until it opened. She nearly fell right into Benjamin, who stared at her with eyes glazed with sleep.

"What's the matter, Nazalia," he asked her as he yawned.

"Tyrney's gone," she replied and watched Benjamin's eyes lose the sleepiness and gain a look of fear.

"Why?"

"It seems Evon has gone missing." Nazalia told him.

Benjamin shook his head. 'The boy was upon death's door, how could he go missing?' Benjamin asked, "How could Evon go missing?"

Nazalia shook her head, which caused her chestnut curls to toss about and drive Benjamin wild. "I don't know how he could go missing, but Tyrney had a feeling something took him. So, he left during the night."

Benjamin felt fear clutch his heart. Tyrney was his best friend, and he was a good hunter, but he was not very good on his own. He and Benjamin had always been a team, and that worked well. Alone, Benjamin held his own against vampires but a few things he didn't have the best training for. Werewolves were one of his concerns, but having been a team with Tyrney made that threat considerably minute. "Your brother is in danger, Nazalia." Benjamin told her.

"I know," she replied.

"And, I must go after him."

"What?" Nazalia asked horrified. She had already had a heavy heart from the disappearance of her older and younger brother, and she didn't want to lose her love as well. "You can't go."

Benjamin held Nazalia by the shoulders. "Benjamin is my best friend, I can't let something happen to him."

"I don't want to lose you also, Ben." Nazalia admitted.

"Then come with me." Benjamin suggested more to be polite than to be serious.

"All right." Nazalia agreed. She liked knowing that she could help rescue at least Tyrney; she believed that Evon was all ready dead, so Tyrney's life was her first concern.

Benjamin was a little taken back that she agreed to come so easily and could only say, "Okay." He went into his room and began to fill his bag with supplies. Nazalia headed to the bathing room to freshen up before packing.

By afternoon, Benjamin and Nazalia had freshened up and packed supplies. The only problem they had was getting past Anna and Gabriel. "Are you sure you want to leave them here this way?" Benjamin asked Nazalia as he slung his back over his shoulder. "They are pretty sorrow stricken right now."

"I must find Tyrney. They can grieve less with his return because I have brought back one of their sons."

"I'm not so sure they will see it that way. They will see it as losing their daughter and completing the loss of all their children. That is a heavy burden to put upon them." Benjamin said as he and Nazalia slipped outside

Nazalia stared Benjamin dead in the face. "You suggested I come, and I want to. Don't talk me out of this. I need to know that Tyrney is all right. I need to know my brother is all right, Ben. I can save Tyrney, and I am able to save him. I won't let him die out there because I was too caught up in my life, like I let happen with Evon." Tears sprung to Nazalia's eyes, and Benjamin brushed the tears on her cheeks away.

"It's all right. I just wanted to confirm that you were serious about coming." Benjamin said as he freed Nazalia's horse then his own horse from the stables.

They mounted the black horses and Benjamin nudged Shadow. He took off, and Nazalia had her horse follow Benjamin. She felt guilty for leaving, especially without a note, but she had to do something. She didn't want to sit in the manor and constantly worry if she would ever see Benjamin, or Tyrney, again. She would rather ride after her brother and beg for her parent's forgiveness later.

Benjamin followed a fresh path of horse hoove prints, and he knew they belonged to Tyrney's horse. He rode quickly through the woods with a hightened sense of danger in the air. He glanced back at Nazalia often just to make sure she was all right, then he would quicken the pace his horse went. He looked into the trees and saw movement. He knew it wasn't a vampire because he could sense vampires from very far away. It wasn't a werewold either, but it had to be an evil creature. "Nazalia, something is out there. Keep your eyes open."

"Will do." Nazalia replied as she scanned the trees for what Benjamin spoke of. She caught sight of creatures with wings, large creatures with wings. She looked closer and saw they were griffins, and anger filled her body. She stopped her horse and drew her revolvers.

Benjamin noticed that Nazalia had stopped, so he rode back over to her. "What are you doing," he asked in a hush.

Nazalia shot him a look that had pure rage in it. "There are griffins out there."

Benjamin pulled her arm. "We don't have time to deal with those things."

Nazalia pulled her arm out of Benjamin's hold. "I want revenge on them."

Benjamin sighed. "These aren't the ones that injured Evon. You all ready killed those griffins. Let these be now. We have to find Tyrney."

Nazalia glanced at Tyrney then at the griffins. Over and over again she glanced between her love and the creatures she had a personal vendetta with. She then put her revolvers away and chose Benjamin's path. "You are right. Tyrney needs us now."

Benjamin nodded and rode forward again, with Nazalia right beside him. She was struggling with the hate for the griffins, but Benjamin knew she wouldn't turn back. He'd steered her onto the right path by mentioning Tyrney. Nazalia had a problem declining anything that helped her brothers, she always had. As a child, she would try her best to keep Tyrney from going out on rides just because he had fallen into a hole once. She also had protected Evon with her life as a child, and Benjamin knew she regretted not doing that for Evon as a teenager.

Nazalia watched Benjamin as he rode. He was so serious, and that made her lust for him more. His curly blonde hair was being tossed about by the ride, but Nazalia didn't mind. She wished she could see Benjamin's lucious green eyes, but she felt a pleasant shiver go down her spine at the thought of Benjamin's eyes. Nazalia's lust for Benjamin had made her temporarily forget her troubles, except her trouble with why Benjamin didn't return her flirting. 'I don't understand him,' she thought. 'The men in the village are interested in me and winning my lust. But, Benjamin has my lust and doesn't even seem to care. I wish he cared. I so wish he cared.'

Nazalia was dragged from her fantasizing about Benjamin when he stopped his horse suddenly. Nazalia had to quickly do the same just to keep from passing Benjamin up. "What's going on," she asked.

Benjamin stared down the path to the left then to the path that continued straight. "Would Tyrney had turned," he asked more to himself that to Nazalia.

"Why would he go that way?"

Benjamin glanced over to Nazalia. "It depends on where he wanted to go. Stories say that more evil resides in the path to the left than straight."

"So?" Nazalia asked pushing a strand of curls behind her ear.

"So, he may have went down the path full of evil to find the evil that took your brother." Benjamin replied as he stared intently on the left path.

Nazalia stared as far down the path as she could see and shuddered at the thought of entereing that path. "I think he went straight," she lied just to get out of going down that path.

Benjamin didn't turn to her as he told her, "Saying that just because you're scared doesn't make it the right way to go."

Nazalia stared at Benjamin with her mouth open. "How'd you know that?"

Benjamin turned to face her. "My sense have heightened more the past few months, and I can sense fear."

Benjamin turned down the rode. "I'm going down that way." He turned to Nazalia and told her, "You don't have to follow me if you don't want to."

Nazalia shook her head. "I'm not letting you go in there by yourself," she told him. "Besides, we are going after Tyrney. If he went that way, so must we."

Benjamin nodded at her then steered his horse in that direction. The horse was tense, but so was he. There was a dark evil that resided down that path, or so the stories told. Benjamin never wanted to know if the stories were correct, but he had no choice. He turned to make sure Nazalia was right with him, and he felt a little better knowing that he wouldn't be alone to face what might come along that path.


End file.
